The Newports had practiced already, and the time for the game to begin was past, so Merriwell stepped out behind the plate and called:
“Play ball!”
CHAPTER XXV
NEWPORT WINS.
It had been decided that the M. C. I.’s should take the field, so they remained in their positions, and the game began with a sharp two-bagger from Newport’s first batter. To the astonishment of everybody, although he had been behind the plate when the ball was hit, Frank was down to second base ahead of the runner, standing in just the proper position to see the play perfectly, and he pronounced the man safe on a close play, a decision that might have been disputed had he remained near the plate. In fact, the second baseman opened his mouth to dispute the ruling, but closed up immediately on seeing that Frank was not more than ten feet away.
Then followed an exhibition of umpiring such as no one present had ever witnessed before. Frank was all over the diamond, and he always seemed on exactly the best spot to see any play to advantage. How he covered so much ground was a mystery, but he did it without seeming to exert himself remarkably, and he kept the game hustling from the very start.
Newport scored twice in their half of the first inning, and were prevented from making a third tally by a beautiful throw from deep left to the plate.
Then Newport went into the field. They filled the box with Burton, of Corinna, a Colby man, and a puzzling “south-paw” pitcher. Burton’s greatest fault was his slow delivery, but, being in good form, he more than made up for it by his tricks in “working the batter.”
Newport had not beaten the Institute team in two years, and the M. C. I.’s fancied they had a snap. They had been against Burton before, and hit him pretty hard, and they believed they could do it again. But Burton, who was a determined chap, with a bulldog disposition to never give up, was there to redeem himself that day. He proceeded to strike out the first two men with great ease, and then he caused the third man to pop up a light fly that he gathered himself without getting out of his tracks.
The Institute boys laughed at this.